Mid-September, Guigon Vincent, CTO of Antenna France, conducted an audit mission and quality production of the two farms together with Didier Berli Channa Huot and our new partners Antenna Cambodia. The result is that the farm in Kandal despite some small improvements seems on track in terms of production and quality. By against the farm of Siem Reap will be subject to closer monitoring because the manager is less in accordance with the protocols defined by Antenna France and recommendations. That said production of the two farms is still a good level in quantity and quality. The suggested improvements will be greatly facilitated if commercial sales increase. As Vincent said “this will give both a motivation to do better and the financial means to make the necessary improvements. No doubt Channa Huot will provide the necessary technical supervision. Channa and Didier Berli would agreements for a French speaker spirulinier alongside ATF intervene with Channa for support in technical support.In June, an agreement with Didier Berli and Channa Huot who take over the management of Antenna Cambodia following the various missions of VSI.Beginning in September 2015 Laetitia Houdart just completed his mission VSI and left us to go to new adventures! We thank Laetitia for the quality of the work with us and wish him the best for his future projects. Laetitia thank you.Follow the PSE tests (Pour un Sourire d’Enfant) and according to the findings, adaptation to other countries.Continue outreach to local NGOs and develop this distribution.Develop commercial sales with the help of a sales professional.During H1 2015, Antenna Technologies Cambodia bought 492 kg of spirulina to two farms in Kandal and Siem Reap. 229 kg were sold and 125 kg distributed to associations. We have almost 50% of the 2015 target nutritional distribution.Spirulina distributions take place in the centers of the association Children of Asia-ASPECA.Several distributions were made with the Association For Children Smiling and it was decided to do further studies to confirm the impact of spirulina on the health of children and notably anemia. The project is to assess daily changes in children, the events characteristics of their health for 10 months by comparing two groups of children (about 200 children) receiving spirulina and placebo alternately following a breakdown in ‘blinded. Dr. Hubert Barennes, Pediatrician, Epidemiologist and Public Health Doctor led the study.

Authorisation of the Cambodian Health Ministry (Marketing Authorisation) to sell the produced spirulina via the healthcare networks (chemists, hospitals etc.) was finally obtained at the beginning of 2014. Now that this is the case, several contacts, who were interested in the network but reluctant to get involved prior to the authorisation being granted, will now join our action.

The distribution structure has been strengthened with the target of balancing its financials while respecting the quota of social distribution:

Commercial sales are developed (chemists, bio-food shops etc.)

Partnerships with NGOs are sought after in order to set-up spirulina distribution among the most destitute: Enfants d’Asie-ASPECA, Toutes à l’école, Pour un Sourire d’Enfant and many more. The objective is to ensure that 1/3 of the production is distributed to the children.

Continuous training of the local team is to be ensured and a Head of Network is to be recruited, in order to replace the current International Solidarity Volunteer (specific French internship contract for NGOs operating outside of France)

First semester of 2014

Breaking news ! At the end of May 2014, Laetitia HOUDART, our new Head of Cambodian programmes arrived in Phnom Penh.She will take over from Jean-François BIELA, who is leaving us after several years of good and loyal services! We thank you Jean-François and wish you great joy and success in your future undertakings. A warm welcome to Laetitia whose extensive field experience will certainly benefit Antenna. A brand new challenge awaits her: developing the commercial and social distribution of spirulina via partnerships with NGOs. The Marketing Authorisation, which was granted to Antenna at the beginning of the year, should help her achieve this objective by the end of 2014.Further good news: the spirulina produced in Cambodia has been analysed by an independent French laboratory. The results are excellent and show that Antenna’s spirulina is non-toxic.

Laetitia is now in charge and has already approached several NGOs and is even working on a project with the SOFITEL of Siem Reap, which plans to add spirulina to its menus.Since the 9th of June a sales representative has joined Laetitia to support her with the commercial distribution. His name is Rem CHANNRONG. He has previous experience in healthcare. The new commercial strategy is currently being set up. We will have more information during the second semester.Pascal Godon, project manager for Cambodian programmes at Antenna Technologies France worked on a project from May 31st to June 15th. He was able to meet all the local NGOs. Tests currently underway are in their final stage. This is the case for Toutes à l’Ecole, whose test results will soon be available. More tests will start in September like the one at Pour un Sourire d’Enfant under Doctor Hubert Barennes’ supervision.The two new ponds in each farm are expected to be completed by the end of July 2014, just before the rainy season.

The foundations of a distribution structure have been laid under the leadership of Jean-François Biela and thanks to the necessary authorisations, which are the result of long administrative processes.

Social” distribution : several partnership agreements with NGOs were settled. Furthermore distribution and follow-up protocols were established thanks to the support of Dr Hubert Barennes.

NGO Aspeca – Enfants d’Asie: a partnership was set up in October 2013 for 1,186 children with a body mass index below 18 in 26 centres across Cambodia.

NGO “Toutes à l’école”: we prepared a test on 100 young girls, aged 5 to 7, which will take place in April 2014.

NGO “Maryknoll”: distribution in 4 centres in Phnom Penh, which take care of destitute children

NGO “Trailblazer Cambodia Organization” (TCO): Since October, the NGO has been developing a distribution network in and around Siem Reap of spirulina packets of 25g.

NGO Asia’s Hope: The doctor serving as a council for the NGO has responded very favourably to spirulina and will advise the NGO to use it.

Commercial distribution: Spirulina Boxes of 50g are sold on the free market

A commercial partnership with a private distributor specialised in cosmetics and natural food supplements, Green Care Mart, has been set up and accounts for a large share of the sales on Phnom Penh and in the 8 provinces of Cambodia.

Software tools to follow-up on sales have gradually been put into place over the period thanks to the help of two volunteer professionals, working at the NGO Planète Urgence. Mathieu and Stéphane helped us, respectively in April and August for two weeks, to improve and set up computer files allowing to follow-up on and trace the network’s operations (treasury, purchases, sales, client accounts and expenses of the whole entity).